Ducks prevail but lose Selanne

Dec. 19, 2008

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, (1) of Switzerland, defenseman Chris Pronger (25) and Chris Kunitz celebrate their win over the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. The Ducks beat the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) scores a goal past Edmonton Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson (35) in the overtime shootout of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. The Ducks beat the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, of Switzerland, watches the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Edmonton Oilers right wing Erik Cole (26) gets tripped up by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Steve Montador (5) during first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, (1) of Switzerland, hits the puck as Edmonton Oilers left wing Dustin Penner (27) and Anaheim Ducks' Kent Huskins fight for control during first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer (27) congratulates Rob Niedermayer, right, after a goal during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Edmonton Oilers right wing Ales Hemsky (83), of Czech Republic, runs into Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, (1) of Switzerland, during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne (8), from Finland, is helped off the ice after getting injured during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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A shot by Edmonton Oilers center Kyle Brodziak, not shown, scores past Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, of Switzerland, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. The Ducks beat the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov (37), of Russia, protects the puck from Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Carter (20) during second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, (1) of Switzerland, defenseman Chris Pronger (25) and Chris Kunitz celebrate their win over the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday. The Ducks beat the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout. JIMMY JEONG, AP PHOTO/THE CANADIAN PRESS

EDMONTON, Alberta The Ducks will hold their collective breath until at least late today but more likely Sunday waiting to learn the severity of a freak injury incurred by right wing Teemu Selanne in the opening two minutes of Friday night's 3-2, shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.

Long before Corey Perry managed the lone shootout conversion to rescue the Ducks, who had blown a 2-0, third-period lead, Selanne suffered a laceration on his lower left thigh when a collision with Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov resulted in Selanne getting twisted to the point that his right skate sliced his opposite leg.

"I knew right away that I got cut," Selanne said before leaving the locker room on crutches. "It was scary how much blood was coming out. It was all over. You couldn't even stop it."

A doctor on scene halted the bleeding and stabilized Selanne's leg but chose not to investigate the extent of the damage for fear of adding to it, Selanne said. The Ducks planned to take Selanne on a Friday night flight to Vancouver, and then send him to Anaheim today to undergo an MRI with their own medical personnel.

"The MRI is going to tell exactly if it's surgery or not," Selanne said. "It's just bad luck, but it could be worse. There's a bright side. That's how I'm going to look at it."

The incident conjured memories of a partially severed right quadriceps tendon suffered by Perry late last season, in a March 6 game at Colorado.

Hospitalized immediately, Perry underwent surgery and missed six weeks before returning for the final three games of an opening-round Stanley Cup playoff loss to Dallas.

"I looked down, saw blood on his sock and said 'This can't be good,'" Perry said. "I don't wish that on anybody. He said it's a little bit higher and more to the side than mine."

The play, along the right-wing boards near the Edmonton bench, appeared perfectly innocent, but as Selanne turned and Grebeshkov made contact from behind, Selanne lost his balance.

Selanne's right skate flew up and got between his shin and thigh pads.

"The blade is like a knife, you know?" Selanne said.

Selanne received credit for just 14 seconds of ice time in his 1,100th career NHL game and 615th with the Ducks, one short of the club record held by his former linemate, Steve Rucchin.

Despite surrendering third-period goals to Kyle Brodziak and Eric Cole, the latter on the power play, Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller matched a regular-season franchise record with 51 saves.

"Obviously, he was the best player on the ice," Carlyle said.

Cole's equalizer, at 13:57, resulted from the ninth of 10 Oilers power-play opportunities, five of which came in the third period. Buoyed by 15 shots with the man advantage, Edmonton out-shot the Ducks 21-4 in the third period.

"Sometimes it's good to have a lot of shots," Hiller said. "It was a tiring game, but I felt good. For sure, I'm happy with the win."

The Ducks (18-12-3) broke on top on a short-handed goal by Rob Niedermayer, assisted by Scott Niedermayer, at 19:39 of the first period. The Ducks converted on the power play for just the second time in 26 opportunities over parts of seven games when Perry re-directed a Bobby Ryan shot past Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson at 10:09 of the second period.

Perry skated nearly to the right-wing boards before cutting to the net and, utilizing remarkable patience, beating Roloson on the first attempt of the shootout.

"It's something that's worked in the past," Perry said. "If you can get wide, you can get a little better angle on the goalie. That's what I was trying to do."

Marc Pouliot, Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner each tried to get Edmonton (14-14-3) even, only to see Hiller add three more saves to snap a personal four-game losing streak.

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